Pinot Noir

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Species: Vitis Vinifera
Parentage: Unknown
Aliases: Blauburgunder, Spatburgunder, Rulanske modre
Grape Color: Black
Regions: Chiefly associated with France’s Burgundy region. Also prevalent in Champagne, France; California; New Zealand

“With so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, they make the blood run hot,” Joel Fleischman, wine columnist at Vanity Fair, once described of Pinot Noir. Also christening it as a fickle mistress, a minx, and as sex in a glass, wine critics have had no hesitation in oft comparing Pinot Noir to a woman.

With many qualities lending themselves to this parallel, the best is likely that the Pinor Noir grape is difficult. Difficult to cultivate. Difficult to transform into wine. Difficult to pinpoint in taste.

The Pinot Noir grape is grown in tightly clustered dark purple, pine-cone shaped bunches, the resemblance from which it gets its name. Considered to produce the finest wines in the world, its fame as a Noble grape goes hand in hand with France’s Burgundy wine region.

Some giveaway qualities of the Pinot Noir are its thin skin, early ripening during growing season, and summer-fruit aromas such as those of strawberries and red cherries. You will notice that wines made of this varietal tend to have complex aromas, as well a smooth, silky texture. Pinot Noir also has light tannins and a structure that holds its own, giving it the ability to be paired well with many foods. However, because of its thin skin, the firsthand challenge for vintners lies in drawing color and flavor from these skins without extracting large amounts of tannin.

Pinot Noir tend to grow best in cool-climate regions, where while their youthful flavors hint of red berries, their more mature wines develop earthier flavors ranging from forest floor to violets to ripe tomatoes. This broad range of flavors from fruits to flowers to even licorice is what tends to confuse even the most experienced tasters.

The roots of Pinot Noir are no less complex than the grape itself. During first century A.D. this varietal was known to the Ancient Romans as Helvanacia Minor, which they turned into wine during their conquest of France’s Burgundy region, where it too was wildly popular. For hundreds of years in the Burgundy region, the hilly region where Pinot Noir was cultivated was known as Côte d'Or -- “The Slope of Gold.”

This red wine grape produces wines closer to a garnet color, unlike many red wines. It does not share the longevity of many other varietals, as it reaches its peak approximately 5-8 years past vintage. Despite the fact that its character can be hard to pinpoint, Pinot Noir is praised by vintners for striking the perfect balance of fruit, alcohol, acidity, and tannin in its wines.

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Esser Vineyards Pinot Noir California

Winery:	Esser Vineyards
Region:	USA » California
Type:	Table Wines

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The future of New Zealand wine is strong – both through local sales and, increasingly, export. International trade in wine remains highly competitive, market and margin-driven, and is always subject to the kindness or wrath of currencies trading - as w...

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Oregon’s wine families scoured the state fifty years ago looking for the perfect Pinot Noir site. They found it in the Willamette Valley, The Oregonian reporter Molly Harbarger said in an atricle this week. Fifty years later, the Pinot market is booming.

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Mentor for Pinot Noir Wines

Richard Jennings

Wine writer (and HR exec). I write a weekly column for Huffington Post, wine book reviews for NY Journal of Books, and my blog is http://www.RJonWine.com. I have over 38,000 tasting notes on CellarTracker, where I'm the most "favorited" TN author.

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Pinot Noir on Snooth

January 2011

Green Point Pinot Noir Rose 2006

Snoothrank:

See Bernie Wood (Green Point) in our Meet-the-Winemaker video series (#17): www.debramasterofwine.com Read More

Wine review by Debra Meiburg MW
January 2011

Green Point Pinot Noir Rose 2006

Snoothrank:

See Bernie Wood (Green Point) in our Meet-the-Winemaker video series (#17): www.debramasterofwine.com Read More

Wine review by Debra Meiburg MW
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Green Point Pinot Noir Yarra Valley 2007

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Dog Point Pinot Noir S.T.A 2006

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Dog Point Pinot Noir Marlborough 2010

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Dog Point Pinot Noir 46440 2004

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Dog Point Pinot Noir Marlborough 1994

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